Rodney Reeves chats with John and Diann Walker of Center, Texas, while selling boats for Bayou Outdoor Supercenter Saturday at the State Fair of Louisiana Boat, Sport & RV Show at the fairgrounds.

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With little else to do, Rodney Reeves was mowing the grass outside the now empty Reeves Marine building at the base of the Jimmie Davis Bridge recently when Larry Brazzel pulled up.

The Bayou Outdoors Supercenter owner told Reeves he'd like to help him. Unsure what that entailed, Reeves agreed to meet with Brazzel at his office in a few days. The assistance Brazzel offered was giving Reeves a job selling boats, which sent the longtime boat dealer back to his roots, while giving him a new lease on life.

The Reeves name is the most notable in local boating circles after the late Russell Reeves opened ...